Fresh Palates to Palettes

At Southwest Leadership Academy Charter School in southwest Philadelphia, PA, food is intersecting with art in a whole new way with Lead Art Teacher Deva Watson’s collaboration with Philadelphia restauranteurs and a local arts organization Fresh Artists to create the Fresh Palates to Palettes program.

Fresh Palates to Palettes aims not only to teach art, but also to expose students to various career paths and life skills. Participating eight graders visited four of Philadelphia’s top restaurants to meet with some of the city’s best chefs. During their visit, the students had the opportunity to meet the chefs, tour the kitchens and learn about culinary arts and restaurant design and operations; the students then participated in the creation of a still life using ingredients from the chefs’ signature dishes. After studying the still life and reflecting on what they had learned about each restaurant, students sampled the chefs’ work!

Returning back to school to complete the still life drawings, the classroom has the atmosphere of a “kitchen.” The students are eagerly awaiting a visit from the chefs, when they will choose their favorite artwork. The winning students will receive an exclusive cooking lesson!

View this video to learn more about the creative collaboration behind the Fresh Palates to Palettes program.

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